Page:Von Heidenstam - Sweden's laureate, selected poems of Verner von Heidenstam (1919).djvu/20

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principles of rhythm and stanza are the same for both literatures, but satisfactory translations have never happened to be made.

Another excuse for the delayed recognition of Swedish poetry is the fact that it has only very recently attained its zenith. Out of nine or ten stars of the first magnitude, six have arisen since 1870, and four of these since 1888. Although Heidenstam is unquestionably the most important living poet of Sweden, E. A. Karlfeldt is not far behind him, with his deep, quaintly humorous, but very delicately wrought lyrics of nature and peasant life. Besides these two there are Daniel Fallström, K. G. Ossiannilsson, Oscar Stjerne, Bertel Gripenberg, and a dozen others of noteworthy attainments, some of them young enough to promise great things for the future.

2.

It is to be regretted that we have had to make so long a preamble before coming to our immediate subject, but we have had to face the truth that most otherwise well-informed persons have never heard the name of a single Swedish poet. Nothing could be more unjust, in speaking of the merits of Heidenstam, than to give the impression that he is the only, or even the greatest, master his country has produced. The present writer has recently brought out an anthology of translations which, though by no means widely inclusive, contains lyrics by forty-five poets. To this work the reader is referred for further illus-

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